6 July 2023
John
By email:
[FYI request #23104 email]
Tēnā koe John,
Re: Official information request for information relating to Te Tāhū Hauora Health
Quality & Safety Commission Board and Te Kāhui Piringa
I refer to your official information request dated 12 June 2023 for
“all materials related to
how and why the Board of Health Quality & Safety Commission decided to hold Board
meetings and sessions jointly with Te Kāhui Piringa including but not limited to:
1. All documents and communications about the proposal and decision to hold
joint meetings and sessions of the Board and Te Kāhui Piringa
2. Details of when the first joint Board and Te Kāhui Piringa meeting was held
3. All communications between the past and present Chair of the Board and the
responsible ministers regarding joint Board and Te Kāhui Piringa meetings
4. Any advice and opinions the Board received on if the members of Te Kāhui
Piringa could be deemed / de facto directors of the Commission as a result of
participating in joint board and Te Kāhui Piringa meetings and sessions.
relating to board meetings and sessions with Te Kāhui Piringa.”
In response to your request, I confirm that the board of Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality &
Safety Commission (Te Tāhū Hauora) do not hold joint meetings with Te Kāhui Piringa
(previously named Te Rōpū Māori).
The board does however meet with Te Kāhui Piringa to discuss matters of interest at least
once a year, and up to twice a year. The chair of Te Kāhui Piringa also attends board
meetings but does not vote on decisions, an arrangement that has been in place since late
2018. A letter dated 1 October 2018 from the then board Chair, Professor Alan Merry, to the
chair of Te Kāhui Piringa, inviting her to attend board meetings is provided (Attachment 1).
In August 2022, Te Kāhui Piringa presented a paper to the board with an update, proposed
new members and proposed direction. The paper (Attachment 2), and associated minutes
from the meeting (Attachment 3) are provided. Parts of these have been redacted as out of
scope, and under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA, to protect the privacy of natural persons,
specified in the documents.
Following this discussion, the then board Chair, Dr Dale Bramley, requested a further paper
on the partnership relationship between the Board and Te Rōpū. A proposal to update the
terms of reference of Te Kāhui Piringa including the relationship between Te Kāhui Piringa
and the board of Te Tāhū Hauora is being considered, but these papers have not been
finalised and hence withheld under Section 9(2)(j) of the Act -
enable a Minister of the Crown
or any public service agency or organisation holding the information to carry on, without
prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).
The current terms of reference for Te Kāhui Piringa, which provides the terms of their
relationship with the board of Te Tāhū Hauora is also provided (Attachment 4).
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at [Health Quality and Safety Commission request email]. If any additional
factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us
so that these can be considered.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that Te Tāhū Hauora publishes some of its OIA responses on its website, after
the response is sent to the requester. The responses published are those that are
considered to have a high level of public interest. We will not publish your name, address, or
contact details.
Nāku noa, nā
Simona D’Silva
Senior Advisor, Policy and Accountability
Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission
